Restaurant management technology provider CBS NorthStar and Voice AI technology company kea have joined forces to digitally transform phone orders. The partnership will integrate kea’s Voice AI capabilities into CBS NorthStar’s Point-of-Sale (POS) software, offering kea’s Voice AI as an optional add-on for CBS NorthStar customers.
The move comes as over a quarter (28 percent) of restaurant orders in the U.S. are placed via phone, with an estimated $280 billion of this year’s projected $1.1 trillion in restaurant sales expected to come from phone orders.
Jeremy Julian, Chief Revenue Officer of CBS NorthStar, said the partnership highlights their commitment to propel the industry forward in the era of AI.
“With decades of experience in pioneering restaurant technology solutions that optimize operations, we recognize the immense potential of Voice AI to drive operational efficiency and enhance customer service,” Julian said.
kea uses Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) technologies to take orders and send them to kitchens via a POS system. A live service representative is available to intervene when necessary to ensure accuracy.
Digitizing the phone channel frees up restaurant staff to focus on other responsibilities. kea reported a 161 percent growth in store count from May 2023 to May 2024. Restaurants using the company have seen an average 20-30 percent increase in ticket size.
California Fish Grill, a user of both CBS NorthStar and kea, has used the integrated technology for the past few months.
Patrick Waiyawaytar, VP of Information Technology at the restaurant, said, “As a Vice President of Information Technology who leverages both CBS NorthStar and kea for our brand of 50-plus restaurants, I can attest that these technologies are effective for our large-scale operations and will continue to help us grow.”
